I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity.
The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all.
Many people would sooner die than think; In fact, they do so
What I have been telling you, from alpha to omega, what is the one great thing the sigil taught me — that everything in life is miraculous. For the sigil taught me that it rests within the power of each of us to awaken at will from a dragging nightmare of life made up of unimportant tasks and tedious useless little habits, to see life as it really is, and to rejoice in its exquisite wonderfulness. If the sigil were proved to be the top of a tomato-can, it would not alter that big fact, nor my fixed faith. No Harrowby, the common names we call things by do not matter — except to show how very dull we are ...
July 05, 2015 - 1:17 a.m.
The internet has issues so I might not be able to post this tonight. I'm writing it late Saturday, I won't finish this till after midnight but I might not post it till Sunday morning or maybe after I get home on Sunday night/Monday morning.
I finished Day 1 of the New Bedford Folk Festival. Sorry no links except for ones I have macros for. I got up this morning and was surprised that are gracious host, Gary, provided us with breakfast. We were planning on eating in town. That meant we could leave later than we planned though we wanted to be early as Stephen and I needed to get tickets and Mike is press pass. About two thirds of the way there Mike realized he forgot his phone at the house. He's been spending too much time with me and picked up some of my idiocy. Instead of turning around we called the house. Gary answered and said, "We found somebody's phone." I think it was Bob that ended up bringing it to Mike. He met us at the Whaling Museum where we started our musical day.
We bought our tickets with no trouble. I wandered off by myself to see what's going on and who I could find. I knew my didgeridoo guy, John, would be here; he's he vender I got friendly with over the year at Clearwater. I found him because he was playing one of his djembes. I followed the drum beat. After I walked a few feet from him I heard someone call my name. Notice how often that happens compared to how often I spied somebody and approached them? It was Karen. Jeff was nowhere to be seen but she assured me that he was there and that she hadn't knocked him off. Yes I ask things like that. Why do I have any friends? You all have ridiculously low standards.
I am not going to tell you everyone else I ran into. That would take too long. I will tell you a few if there's a story to go with it.
I met back with Mike and Steve at the Whaling museum. We were there to see Calen and Tim Erikson & Zoë Darrow. Mike had heard good things about Calen and wanted to check them out. They are a traditional Welsh group which is enough to pique my interest. One I saw them I knew this was a highlight of the festival. They blew me away. They were a five piece that featured bagpipe, accordion, clog dancing, and this weird Welsh instrument made of a cow horn that spread nowhere else. There was pretty much nothing about them I didn't love. Because of my eyesight I couldn't see them well but I'm pretty sure I'm going to marry one of them. She plays the accordion, step danced, is Welsh and I liked her hat. That's a basis for a marriage, right? One of these days writing something like that is going to get me in trouble. I wonder if Aoife O'Donovan ever read where I said I was going to marry her. She as on the main stage at Falcon Ridge. I never thought she'd end up being someone I'm friendly with who might read my blog.
I'm looking at my schedule as I write this. That reminds me how poorly it is designed. There are seven staged but the time line on the stages don't correspond. Two events the same distance from the top of the stage can easily start at different times, as much as an hour and a half different. So you can't easily see what conflicts; this makes it difficult to plan your day. I might see if I can do better and if I can I'll volunteer to do it next year.
After the first set I got a quick lunch from one of the food trucks then headed to see the The Kennedys. Yes I see them all the time but I went to meet up with Joe and Emily and there clan; their daughters and Sarah and Drew, my Falcon Ridge Family. There was only one other thing I really wanted to see then and I could see all the performers in at other stages during the festival. I was not able to save us all seats so we stood off to the side. I am not going to write about the Kennedys. You can search for their name in my blog and find scores of entries about them.
I wanted to see Kim & Reggie Harris next but got there too late. There were no seats and the volunteer wouldn't let me in to stand. I have a feeling that she did not properly understand her instructions as people stand all the time. Hell I had just stood for the Kennedys. So instead I went to grab good seats for Calan again. Yes I loved them that much. I wanted to see a full set of their unshared. I was joined by two of Joe & Emily's daughters. The eldest really enjoyed the clogging. She step dances.
Then we all headed off to see Susan Werner at the big theater, the Zeiterion. I like what Joe said, you see her all the time and know she's good then you see her and realize she's even better than you thought. People experience her in many different ways. I am particularly fond of her funny songs. Joe pointed out what a great instrumentalist she is. She's also a wonderful singer. She has great stage presence. She does it all.
Then Joe and I went to a Blues workshop at the Whaling museum with David Jacob-Strain & Bob Beach, Danielle Miraglia, and Martin Grosswendt. It was a little hard getting to that but when we did we got seats in the second row! I had planned on staying for only half of that but it was so good I stayed. I hardly ever see Danielle out of this festival and NERFA. I tend to see David & Bob about one other time a year. That is not enough for either. I asked Joe if I could say the following and he said yes. So if this is totally out of line blame him. Danielle and David are far too young and attractive to fit our image of what a blues player should look like. I've known David since he was a teen so I think I can get away with that with him. Danielle you're OK with that, right? I'll be nice and not say that Bob does not have that problem. Sorry Bob. He's less young than they are. I don't know Martin so I'm not worrying about what he thinks. He probably won't read this.
There is no formal dinner break but after that we had dinner. It was at a seafood place but they had ribs which were great. Drew thought I wouldn't be able to finish the huge portion. He's been watching me scarf down food at Falcon Ridge for years. He should have known better.
Then were went to the finale at the Zeiterion, Kim & Reggie, Pete & Maura, The Jeremy Kittel Trio, and Gerry Colvin Trio. There were only two people in that last trio. Don't ask me I just report on what happens. Gerry was funny as hell when he talked but his songwriting was too kumbaya for my taste. All the rest were wonderful. Jeremy Kittle is a three piece string band, guitar, fiddle, and mandolin, they did a fiddle tune by some guy names Johann Sebastian Bach. That brought the house down. They went out by everyone including the audience joining in on If I Had a Hammer
The timing was perfect, as it was last year. We came out of the theater just after the town's fireworks show started. They have a great one. I got to see two great shows this Fourth. Then I had to find Mike and Steve. Mike texted me, they were just a block away also watching the fireworks. Modern technology is wonderful.
I amazingly led us back to the garage and knew exactly where the car was. Then there was a problem; the cars in the lot weren't moving. I have no idea what was wrong but I suspect a car stalled at the exit. A fight erupted between two drivers were stuck waiting. One of the cars might have hit another. It became a shoving match and looked bad. I called the police. By the time I got through the fight had ended.
We headed home with no trouble, by now we knew what to do leaving the parking lot and before the GPS found the satellites. In previous years we've made wrong turns.
We got home and hung out for a while. Then I retired to write this. The internet is working now. The Welsh instrument is probably a pibgorn.. Follow the link and read about it.
Ok I'm going to try and post this. I'm up way too late.
I signed the Pro-Truth Pledge:
please hold me accountable.
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On The Road Again - May 26, 2018
Oliver the Three-Eyed Crow - May 25, 2018
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Horvendile July 05, 2015
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